# If "Paki" is acceptable to use then what other slurs are? Nigger? Spic? Homo? Jap? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 16, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375 "2012-07-16T02:51:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Freakenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b782af/32.png) [@Freakenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freakenstein)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/341 "2012-09-21T10:55:55Z")
> [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](#): > > I don’t see “two … etymologies developing” - just two words words with their own etymologies: Brit is merely an abbreviation of British, and Paki, which has now (at least in most of the **civilised world** ) been recognised for its racist nature and found itself to be beyond the pale of mature usage. ( Bolding Mine ) I see You’re from U.K. ( a Brit? ), interesting choice of words as people in Pakistan seem to be fine with it. > [@Candyman74](#): > > OK, I’ll be clear: > > Nobody, anywhere, should ever call me a Paki. You better not go to Pakistan then. I’m practically immune to verbal abuse, one similar poster in another thread said something like if it’s true, it’s not insulting - if it’s not true, it’s just misses the target. I’ve seen many people totally losing it 'cause they are so sensitive and they are giving the control to the insulter\*. My experience is that no matter how they try to give You insults, if You just don’t take them, they have no power - in fact they get frustrated and lose control turning into asses themselves ( and that is _really fun_! ). Imagine a guy that just smiles happily while You throw all Your worst at him. It’s like having some kind of black belt in linguistic judo and I consider Myself invincible. So just calm down, people, You’re hurting only Yourselves. (\* if that’s a word, it gets underlined with red, but You know what I mean. ) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/342 "2012-09-22T19:14:11Z")
> [@Scholar\_Beardpig](#): > > (If a Muslim Punjabi left India in the 30s; are they a Pakistani?) This situation was presented in the 1999 British film _East Is East_ (a very excellent work of satire). It was about a guy who in the opening frames was introduced as a “Pakistani” who “emigrated from Pakistan in 1937.” Can anyone spot what’s wrong with the above sentence? The movie won wide critical acclaim & awards. And damn if everybody writing on it didn’t swallow that “Pakistan in 1937” statement at face value. Not one reviewer ever questioned the factual basis of it. I found that very odd. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/343 "2012-09-22T22:52:25Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > This situation was presented in the 1999 British film _East Is East_ (a very excellent work of satire). It was about a guy who in the opening frames was introduced as a “Pakistani” who “emigrated from Pakistan in 1937.” > > Can anyone spot what’s wrong with the above sentence? > > The movie won wide critical acclaim & awards. And damn if everybody writing on it didn’t swallow that “Pakistan in 1937” statement at face value. Not one reviewer ever questioned the factual basis of it. I found that very odd. The word “Pakistan” was [first used](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan_Declaration) in 1933 as part of the movement to partition India. On that basis, I’d think it likely that people living in the area might refer to it as “Pakistan” even then. Quick on-topic question: Does anyone actually use the word “Paki” outside of Britain? Some people from other countries claim it’s a neutral term but I’d be interested to know if it’s an existing neutral term or one that is just assumed to exist. If it’s widely-used neutrally then it should be acceptable here; if not, it shouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/344 "2012-09-22T23:41:08Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > This situation was presented in the 1999 British film _East Is East_ (a very excellent work of satire). It was about a guy who in the opening frames was introduced as a “Pakistani” who “emigrated from Pakistan in 1937.” > > Can anyone spot what’s wrong with the above sentence? > > The movie won wide critical acclaim & awards. And damn if everybody writing on it didn’t swallow that “Pakistan in 1937” statement at face value. Not one reviewer ever questioned the factual basis of it. I found that very odd. I don’t recall that happening in the film and I looked at the first 10 minutes there and couldn’t find anything like you’ve described, could it be later in the film? The only reference to Pakistan in the first few minutes is the dad listening to the radio in the chipper and it’s the news and his wife tells him to turn it off but he says no because it’s about Pakistan. Could there be more than one edit of the film? ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/345 "2012-09-22T23:54:32Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > See post #310. > > It might be transposed as “our black neighbors invited us to their house for a barbecue. I’ve just got to finish building the cross,” or something like that. I took it to mean that because its so hot in Pakistan, that the Pakistanis would be used to it and even hot water would seem cool. Or maybe its a reference to needing to bathe. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/346 "2012-09-23T00:12:26Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I took it to mean that because its so hot in Pakistan, that the Pakistanis would be used to it and even hot water would seem cool. Or maybe its a reference to needing to bathe. No, the point was boiling water would scald you. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/347 "2012-09-23T02:52:09Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > Quick on-topic question: Does anyone actually use the word “Paki” outside of Britain? Some people from other countries claim it’s a neutral term but I’d be interested to know if it’s an existing neutral term or one that is just assumed to exist. People have posted examples of doing so in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/348 "2012-09-23T04:42:00Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I don’t recall that happening in the film and I looked at the first 10 minutes there and couldn’t find anything like you’ve described, could it be later in the film? > > The only reference to Pakistan in the first few minutes is the dad listening to the radio in the chipper and it’s the news and his wife tells him to turn it off but he says no because it’s about Pakistan. Could there be more than one edit of the film? I don’t know. I remember the scene with the radio that you describe, but the character introduction was the first thing on the screen when I saw it in the theater when it was newly released in America. Haven’t seen it since then. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/349 "2012-09-23T04:56:43Z")
Well, I think that most of the moral outrage about certain slurs is just a way of showing that "_I am outraged about this, and you are not, thus I am morally superior to you.":rolleyes:_. I don’t think most of the outrage is real. ---
**Author:** ![ShelliRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@ShelliRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliRK)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/350 "2012-09-23T05:06:40Z")
Wow, all these wasted space comments. Why didn’t someone in an official capacity simply say that any word used to identify someone that could be considered a racial slur is inappropriate and won’t be tolerated. Anyone who continues this conversation to cause a stir about the subject for pure amusement will be dealt with appropriately. Say Pakistanian, Pakistani, Black Person, Jewish person… I think we all understand, stop claiming ignorance. Better yet, just refer to whoever you’re talking about by NAME. I’m embarrassed for many of you. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/351 "2012-09-23T05:15:48Z")
> [@ShelliRK](#): > > Wow, all these wasted space comments. Why didn’t someone in an official capacity simply say that any word used to identify someone that could be considered a racial slur is inappropriate and won’t be tolerated. Anyone who continues this conversation to cause a stir about the subject for pure amusement will be dealt with appropriately. Say Pakistanian, Pakistani, Black Person, Jewish person.. I think we all understand, stop claiming ignorance. Better yet, just refer to whoever you’re talking about by NAME. > > I’m embarrassed for many of you. Brit? Yank? Aussie? See my prior post. I’ll also point out that I knew a Black girl once that said “Black? Do I look black to you? No, I am a lovely shade of mocha.” So, why is Black acceptable? Why not Negro? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/352 "2012-09-23T05:55:59Z")
> [@ShelliRK](#): > > Why didn’t someone in an official capacity simply say that any word used to identify someone that could be considered a racial slur is inappropriate and won’t be tolerated. Anyone who continues this conversation to cause a stir about the subject for pure amusement will be dealt with appropriately. Because it’s not necessarily a slur. There’s an actual Paki in the thread arguing this very point. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/353 "2012-09-23T06:21:58Z")
I think it’s time to let this thread die. If people have new questions on how we handle these kinds of situation, feel free to start a new thread, but I don’t see the point in reviving this one to rehash things that were already discussed at considerable length. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375.md?page=17)